Hyacinth
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: Hey, Crystal. I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, like to talk to anyone, just let me know.


Hyacinth

She only wanted a little time by herself. A moment to clear her thoughts should have been accomplished by an uneventful walk in the woods. Crystal had trekked over uprooted tree trunks and passed forgotten gravestones when she ventured far into the off-limits forest. She had walked until the pine scent sickened her and was left sniffling at her red-eyed reflection in a forgotten, muddy creek somewhere near the edge of the campgrounds, the only sounds being the bubbling water lapping against the dirt and crickets hiding and chattering in the lush thicket surrounding her

But like Clem had said, peace wasn't meant to last. Something would always interject ruin it. Even little moments of clarity and resilience were meant to be dashed, Clem had said on a dreary, pitch black night at the start of the summer when they were trapped inside the lodge because of a thunderstorm.

"You should always be on your guard, Crystal," Clem had warned, hand to his cheek. She remembered how dark the shadowy rings under his eyes were when he spoke. "If you let it down for even a second, then someone's going to do something bad. That's just how people are."

"Oh, Clem, there must be some good in people," she had murmured, wringing her hands as the rain beat against the windows.

He had grinned at her, a tiredness etched in his features. "Maybe, maybe not." He had tilted his head and swung his legs off the side of the stage. "Just be careful, okay? Keep your guard up no matter what."

She should have taken his advice seriously when grimy purple hands shoved her into the creek. She landed face-first into the water and got a mouthful of it, her tongue shriveling in disgust at the slimy taste. It drenched her clothes, smearing it with mud and silverfish between the wrinkles. When she got to her feet, laughter pierced through her ears, making her brain pulse with uneasiness as she blinked the water out of her eyes.

"Haha! How's the water, Crystal?" Benny jeered, pointing and cackling.

Bobby stood at his side, shifting his weight onto his left leg and crossing his arms. "Man, you actually did something right. Not bad."

He beamed at Bobby's praise, his thin cheeks lifting up with his smile. "Thanks, boss! I knew I'd impress you and-"

Bobby's knuckles rammed into his shoulder and knocked him to the ground. Benny's yelp and the smacking sound of Bobby's fist into Benny's body dragged Crystal out of her stupor. She flinched and flashed her wide blue eyes at them, her mouth falling open and causing some of the water stuck underneath her tongue to spill out over her lips and chin. She felt her entire body shiver from head to toe, and she wasn't sure if it was from the frigid water clinging to her skin or Bobby's glare narrowing on her, seizing her up like a predator about to catch his prey.

"Hey, Snagrash, I've been looking for you," Bobby said, cocking his head. "Takin' a little swim in the kiddie pool, huh? Well, get outta there. We got business."

"H-hi, hi, Bobby," she sputtered, failing to hide her grimace as she stepped back onto land. Her shoes sloshed with trapped water. Her knees knocked together, and her teeth chattered despite the humidity in the air. She combed through her tresses and clipped stray pieces behind her ears, but her stubborn locks remained glued down on her brow and cheeks.

He glanced at her up and down. His inspection made her avert his gaze, shame coloring her cheeks. He was still snickering, and she knew she was a sorry sight. Entirely drenched with her updo matted to her skull, she must have resembled an ugly duckling. Her older sister always said she looked like one on her best days. Crystal blinked the tears out of her eyes, hoping they would blend in with the water dribbling down her cheeks.

"You skipped out on your protection services this morning," Bobby said, cracking his knuckles. He raised his fist and leaned forward. "Fork over those five arrowheads you owe me or I'm gonna make your bucktoothed boyfriend have a nicer smile than you."

Her cheeks flushed redder than her hair. His words reminded her of the incident which prompted her walk. Kitty and Franke had doubled her toll bridge payment only to suddenly quadruple it when she searched her pockets. Kitty had explained something about inflation and other technical terms that flew over her head and merely smirked when she tried pleading her case. Crystal had tried telling her that she needed to pay Bobby, too, but Kitty brushed off her concerns with a flick of her well-manicured nails.

"I guess you can stay in the cabin area forever if you don't want to pay us," Kitty had said, Franke giggling at her side.

"B-but-"

"No buts! You better get digging or your butt is gonna be stuck in the cabin area forever," Franke had sneered and stuck out her tongue.

She had been so thoroughly defeated that she ambled away as they laughed at her back. Her hands had felt raw by the time she dug up the proper amount. They hadn't even thanked her when she delivered them the arrowheads, Kitty snatching and counting them with a bored expression. They had moved aside and let her run across the bridge, the tears in her eyes making Kitty comment that she needed to use waterproof mascara in the future.

"I saw you giving all of that dough to Kitty, too," Benny suddenly interjected, rebounding to Bobby's side. He tilted his head and tapped his cheek. "In fact, I saw you digging up arrowheads back by the cabins. You gave Kitty and Franke eight arrowheads when you needed to give Bobby five of them."

"Izzat so? You're givin' that fat cat what you owe me?" Bobby snarled and cracked his knuckles again.

Heat burned her face. She thought she was the only one around the cabins when she searched. Not even Nils was spying on the Girls' Cabin. Swallowing, she asked, "But-but how did-?"

"Invisibility," Benny chirped, a sing-song quality to his voice. "How did you think I knew all that? I just kept using invisibility and stayed outta your sight long enough to get the boss involved and follow you here." He flashed another smile at Bobby, which was ignored. His eyes briefly narrowed at his cohort, but he recovered and sneered at Crystal when Bobby closed in on her.

"It's supposed to be five arrowheads for me, and one arrowhead for her," Bobby slowly seethed, a vein in his brow. "Is this idiot saying you think Kitty deserves more arrowheads than me? You scared of Kitty more than you are of me?"

Crystal clasped her hands together as Bobby's shadow crossed over her. Her voice pitched as she cried, "I-it was-! Uh, you know, the stock market! They said-well, Kitty said arrowhead stocks rose and-"

"Do you think I give a damn about stock markets when Kitty's stealing from me?" Bobby bellowed, slamming his heel into the ground and making her clap her hand over her mouth. Relaxing, his scowl stretched back into a smile, which would have looked friendly to the untrained eye. He leaned forward and curled his fingers through the fabric of Crystal's shirt, leaving the petrified girl to tremble in his grasp. His untamed, fiery orange afro covered the scope of her vision. She couldn't make out the trees or Benny anymore, forced to stare into his mismatched eyes.

"Oh! Are you gonna give her the ol' one-two, Bobby? Need me to hold her arms back?" Benny eagerly asked.

He scoffed. His hot breath hit Crystal's face and forced her nose to wrinkle. Rolling his eyes, he leered back at Benny, hissing, "No, stupid, shut up. I got this." With his lackey silent and smiling, he turned his attention back to Crystal and smirked at her tense expression. He threw out his free hand and curled his fingers into a fist. "Do you like making me feel like a chump, Snagrash? Is that what you like?"

She twisted her head from side to side. "N-no! Of course not." She gulped and quirked her mouth into a smile. "I-I mean, I mean, you're my friend. I'd hate to make you feel like a chump when you're actually a champ."

Bobby leaned back, surprise written on his face. He blinked, his mouth twisting upwards in an uneven smirk before he burst into laughter. He dropped his fist and thrust her backwards. The wind knocked out of her, she crashed into the creek and felt the water splash down onto her. Slimy, dirty water entered her nostrils and choked her, her lungs fluttering as Bobby and Benny guffawed over her, the latter slapping his knee.

"Aw, man! Aw, man! She's so dumb!" Benny jeered, Bobby howling next to him.

"Oh, oh, wow! I didn't think she was that stupid! I'm gonna puke, she's so stupid!" he cackled, throwing his head back, his hair jostling.

She trembled and sat up. She sucked down shaky breaths, feeling the mud clinging to her legs and hands. Lukewarm tears welled in her eyes and slipped out in fat blobs into the creek.

She must have been such a pathetic sight. It was no wonder why Bobby and Benny were laughing so hard that they gasped for breath. Her skin started to prune, and her clothes stuck to her body, the wrinkles more pronounced. She couldn't even find the strength to stand up and laugh with them, her voice feeling like it had been stripped from her.

But then she smelled something strange enough to make her gasp.

Bobby cut off his laughter, panic bright in his beady eyes. He stared down at Benny, his lackey continuing to cackle. He quirked an eyebrow at light gray smoke rising from the tips of Benny's ears and sniffed the air. Brows furrowing, he glanced down at Crystal and knew she wasn't the cause based on her wide eyes and hand touching her lips.

The silence brought Benny out of his laughing fit. He gasped and rubbed the sides of his head, exclaiming, "My ears are burning! Kitty must be talking about me."

"You idiot, that's not it," Bobby automatically replied and smacked him upside the head. He sniffed the air again and turned around, crossing his arms. He tapped his foot and looked from left to right, Benny clamoring at his side.

"Oh, oh, is it Phoebe? Is Dr. Love in need of a pounding? She's been meddling for way too long, boss!" Benny asked only for Bobby ram his elbow into his jaw and knock him down.

Crystal peered around Bobby and watched him focus on the figure emerging from the shadows among the trees. She gasped silently, her shoulders hitching upwards as none other than Lili Zanotto lowered her hand back to her side. She watched her grab her hips, her bright eyes zeroing in on Bobby who mimicked her stance.

"I guess I can't take a walk in the woods without you doing something completely annoying, Bobby," Lili remarked, the breeze gently blowing her long pigtails.

"What's it to ya, Za-snot-to? You got somethin' you wanna say to me?" Bobby demanded, raising a fist.

She rolled her eyes. "Wow. 'Za-snot-to.' How original."

He growled, his nerve pinched. "Shouldn't you be tending to your delicate little garden like the stupid, ugly hippie you are?"

"Oh, wow again, Bobby. You pulled that fast one on me two days ago," Lili recalled, Bobby's confidence beginning to fall. She grinned and tilted her head as his fists trembled. "Are you gonna go through your old material? Maybe you should attend class and learn something new."

"Oh, burn!" Benny blurted, grinning only to gasp. He covered his mouth, his eyes wide as Bobby gawked at him. Through his fingers, he squeaked, "I-I mean-! It-it-it was, um, reflexive, boss! I'd say that if you said a burn that scorching, too, I swear!"

Lili marched towards them. She glanced at Bobby before edging around him. She looked at Crystal, her irritation swapping for concern, and she offered her hand, the cheerleader baffled by her seemingly kind gesture.

"Come on, let's get you outta there," she said, reaching out and pulling Crystal's hand off her jaw. She dragged the other girl towards her and steadied her. Keeping her hand on Crystal's shoulder, she brushed off bits of caked dirt from her elbow and flicked off a few silverfish.

Shaking his head quickly, Bobby recovered from Benny's betrayal. He pivoted in front of them when Lili tried turning back to the path, shouting, "H-hey, hold on! We ain't done here 'til I get my arrowheads!"

"Arrowheads," Lili dryly repeated, her lip curling.

"Yeah! Arrowheads!" Benny barked back, leaping to Bobby's side.

Lili glanced between them, Crystal shivering by her. "Are you two so desperate that you can't walk ten feet over there and get one yourself?" She pointed at a patch of grass with a notable purple puff wafting from it. "Go on. Get that arrowhead, numbskulls."

"You think I'm gonna dig 'em up when Snagrash owes me? Hell no!" Bobby snapped, jabbing an uneven fingernail at Crystal.

Feeling Crystal flinch, Lili said, "Crystal, be real with me. Do you actually owe Bobby arrowheads that aren't for his 'protection services?'"

He glared at her to say yes. Crystal quivered under his glower and shifted her attention to the darker color of her shoes. She knew she owed him something when he promised to look after her when camp started. He had sounded so genuine, too, a kind quality unheard of in his voice when he came to her with the offer only to mock her at every opportunity after they struck up their deal.

But when she thought about it, she didn't owe him arrowheads. She couldn't think of any new reason to give him even one. If she had one, then she might have been able to stave off his annoyance, but even she knew that wasn't a proper reason to relinquish it to Bobby when she had worked hard to gather all of her arrowheads without the help of an expensive dowsing rod. She knew he was bullying her for the arrowheads, but by doing what he wanted, she hoped to stay in his good graces so that one day, they might have been friends.

"'No?'" Lili suddenly interjected, her index finger touching her temple. She smirked at Bobby. "Well, that's all she wrote. She doesn't owe you two losers anything."

"Sh-she didn't even say if she did or not!" Benny cried, hunching forward.

"Because she said it through telepathy, not that you would know how to do that, Benny," Lili replied, beginning to tug Crystal along. She nudged Bobby's arm as they passed, the taller boy glaring down at her. She paused to stare at him, her mouth settling in a satisfied smirk before she continued on their way, keeping her grip tight on the fabric of Crystal's camp shirt.

"Wh-what the heck was that, Bobby? Why didn't you stop-ow! Ow, ow, okay, okay! You're right! You're right! D-don't pull-don't pull my hair! Yow, yow, ow! I'm so sorry, boss!" was what Crystal heard as Lili guided her away from them. Benny's plight fell on deaf ears as she flinched with each subsequent smack on his skin. As Bobby pummeled his lackey, she couldn't help but feel responsible for the beating and wished she had more arrowheads to quell Bobby's rage.

"It's not your fault," Lili said, dragging her out of her thoughts.

Crystal hiccuped and wiped her eyes. She stumbled over nothing, and Lili steadied her. They walked through the forest, the shadows familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She peered over at Lili, saying, "But I-but if I did-"

"It's not your fault why people are like that." Lili cut her off with another look, her eyeshadow notably shiny underneath the patches of sunlight which fell through the trees. She smiled, a sight Crystal rarely saw on her face and felt her own cheeks flush when Lili squeezed her shoulder. "You shouldn't blame yourself for him. Bobby's always looking for a dumb reason to bully others, so if he tries messing with you again, tell me." She snapped her fingers, a tiny orange flare sparking and dying in a split second. "I can handle him."

"O-oh! But-but I don't want you two to hurt each other," she said, her free hand fiddling with the hem of her soaked shirt.

"Please, Crystal, I fought Bobby to a standstill when I was seven. I handled him then, and I can-" She paused, her words making Crystal gnaw on her lower lip. Clearing her throat, she said, "Look, let's get you back to the cabins so you change. You'll get sick if you let your clothes air dry."

She nodded and kept her eyes on the ground. Her ponytail swung in front of her face, the wet locks occasionally hitting her brow. She pursed her lips, her vision crossing and making her see double when she glared at her ponytail.

"Wait, stop. You can't see where you're going like that," Lili said, swiveling in front of her. She gently grasped her updo and twisted it carefully, watching for any change in Crystal's expression. Water leaked out and drenched her hands, Crystal gasping and asking if she was okay with her now wet gloves. Lili's eyes widened, and she shook her head. She looped Crystal's ponytail back and let it rest on her neck, saying, "There. That should help." She flicked her wrists, water droplets flying off and landing on the bugs and grass.

"Sorry about your gloves," Crystal said, averting Lili's gaze.

"Don't be. They'll dry off," she replied, her reassurance making a tiny smile tug at the corners of Crystal's cheeks.

She searched for anything to say as the crickets chirped louder than her thoughts. She wanted to think of a topic which would interest her, but when she glanced at Lili and found her staring straight ahead, she couldn't help but be awed by her. Crystal knew so little about Lili, but she came to her rescue anyway. She wasn't sure if they could be called friends or acquaintances. An aloof aura hung around Lili as they walked, but she still helped and comforted her, the tone of her voice carrying confidence that Crystal had never known.

"Um!" Crystal blurted, startling Lili and making her jerk her head over to her. She blushed and quickly shook her head. Lowering her voice, she said, "Thanks for helping me, Lili."

"No problem," Lili replied as cool as always.

She noticed the lodge coming into view through a patch in the trees. A part of her wanted to run off and hide in there away from the prying eyes of the campers. Kitty and Franke definitely would ask why she was drenched, the former possibly making another comment about her needing waterproof mascara. She despised those negative thoughts, but scenarios raced in her head before she could stop herself. Her imagination ran wild with mockery, interspersed with different campers betraying her trust again and again. Even Clem was there, looking at her from the corner of his eye before turning away, embarrassed to be seen with someone like her.

"What's your favorite flower?" Lili suddenly asked, gently pushing a branch out of their way.

Crystal blinked. "Huh? My favorite what?"

"Flower." She set the branch back in place when they walked past it. "I don't play favorites, but what's yours anyway?"

As they stepped onto the hill leading up to the lodge, Crystal's mind blanked. She completely forgot about flowers. Not a single kind came to her head. It was like someone in her mind found her internal file on flowers and shredded it.

"Roses? Daisies? Hydrangeas? Freesias? Irises?" Lili listed them only to glance at her hair. "You know, I think you'd like hyacinths. Their colors remind me of you."

"I-I, um, oh, wow! They sound really pretty, Lili, I mean, if that's a good thing," Crystal sputtered as they trekked towards the bridge. She paused, her chest tightening only to relax. Kitty and Franke weren't at the end. Her footsteps made the rickety bridge creak, and she asked, "Uh, what do they look like?"

"They're ovular and tall like little bushes, but the bulbs are tiny. They come in all shades, but I like the purple and pink ones." She chuckled. "When I talk with them, they're really cheerful just like you."

"Like me?"

"Oh, yeah." Lili brushed her fingers along the worn rope as they walked along the bridge. "There's none here, but back home, I have a few of them. They're always cheering about something like my dad will leave them in the living room with the TV on, and when I come in, they'll tell me all the good news from the local news station."

Crystal gasped, her lips parting in a wide smile as she squealed, "O-M-G! They're like a Good News Gang! That's really awesome, Lili!"

She chuckled and flicked a pigtail over her shoulder. "Yeah, they get really into it, too. They're always like, 'Lili, Lili, we have good news about that missing dog!' or 'Did you hear about that this species bouncing back from extinction?'"

"Man, I wish I could talk to the hyacinths. I'd love to hear news like that," Crystal said, stopping at the entrance of the Girls Cabin. She looked inside and let out a sigh when she realized it was empty.

"You get dressed. I'll watch the entrance," Lili said, pivoting on her heels.

She gripped her hip and tapped her foot, but Crystal couldn't sense any annoyance from her. Crystal hurried inside, the floorboards creaking underneath her as she scampered to her bunk. Pulling out her suitcase, she searched for suitable clothes and let her thoughts wander, but they quickly focused back on Lili when she removed a floral shirt and pink shorts tucked away in zippered pouch.

"Hey, Lili?" she called, noticing Lili's shadow being cast into the cabin.

"What is it?" Lili asked, fingers rapping against her hip.

"Why'd you help me?"

She heard Lili took a breath and exhale it. She watched Lili brush through her pigtails, an odd tension forming between them. Crystal wished she had bit her tongue, fearing she had misspoke when Lili snickered, a quiet, mirthful chuckle compared to Bobby's guffaws and Kitty's tittering.

"Of course I'm gonna help you. I already told you that I would," Lili said, lightly itching her neck.

Crystal stared at Lili's dark red hair and marveled at the way the sunlight played upon it. But that didn't seem right. It was like Lili radiated warmth from the crown of her head to the worn leather of her boots. Crystal wondered if others saw Lili in the same way, if they were able to notice how kind and considerate she was underneath her layer of quips and sarcasm.

When she finished dressing, she felt like a new person. She'd have to wait until her shoes were dry to wear them again, but in the cool cabin, she sighed. Brushing down her shirt, she chirped, "All set!"

Lili looked over her shoulder and nodded. "I like your shirt."

She grinned at the scarlet roses dotting the white stripes on her spaghetti strap tank top. "Thanks!" Sitting on her bunk, she crossed her ankles and asked, "So, do you have anything else to do for today?"

Lili clicked her tongue. "I did have some training with Sasha, but I'm playing hooky."

"Th-then, um, do you wanna hang out here..." She swallowed, and her pitch rose. "...with me?"

Lili smiled at the invitation, her eyes lighting up in a way that surprised Crystal. "Sure," she said, stepping into the cabin and hurrying to her bunk. Sitting next to her, she folded her legs on her blanket and asked, "So, do you wanna learn about hyacinths? Because I can go on for hours."

"Oh, fu-I mean, oh, heck yeah!" Crystal gushed, clapping her hands, and she hung on to every word Lili said, throwing caution to the wind while Lili explained the rich history of hyacinth maintenance.


End file.
